Become a Foster

Become a Foster!

The Friends of the Shelter Foundation does not have a physical shelter. All of the animals in our care stay in foster homes until adopted by their forever family. We can only help as many animals as we have space for in foster homes. Fostering saves the life of the pet in foster care, plus makes space for another animal at the shelter. By fostering, you’re saving AT LEAST two lives!

Pet foster parents are very much like child foster parents. They care for a homeless pet as if he was their own until he is adopted. Shelter environments can be extremely stressful for dogs. It is much more comfortable for them to stay in a home environment. They are able to get more individualized care in someone’s home. It also gives them better socialization skills, which makes them a more well-adjusted pet. Also, the foster parent is able to learn about the pet’s personality, likes, and dislikes so that he can be better matched to the right forever home.

Most importantly, pet foster parents save lives! If you join our foster program, we will match you with a suitable pet to foster. For example, if you have a female dog who does not get along with other females, we will only have you foster male dogs. If you work full time and cannot care for young puppies, we will only have you foster adults. You also have the opportunity to meet your foster pet’s potential adopters. Our policy is that if you have any “red flags” about an adopter, you have the final say.

Nobody knows that foster dog better than you do, so you have input in who can adopt that pet. If you do NOT wish to have input in this process, that’s fine too! We have volunteers at every single event who will make sure your foster baby goes to a great home. Not much can compare to the joy of helping a homeless animal find a loving family of his own.

What is provided, and what do I need to do?

All Veterinary care, and food, is paid for by The Friends of the Shelter Foundation. We’ll make the appointments for spay/neuter and any other care the foster dog needs. If your pet has an emergency or needs special care, just let us know (24/7) and we’ll approve you to go to one of our participating Vets.

How long will I keep a pet?

It’s impossible to predict how long an animal will remain in foster care. Some pets are adopted within a few days of becoming available. Others wait a few months for a home. FSF WILL NEVER euthanize an animal for taking too long to be adopted. Our animals stay with us for as long as it takes. If you have to take a vacation or just need a break, we have other foster families that can help out.

What if I get attached?

Getting attached to your foster pet is normal. After all, we do this because we love pets! The most common question we as foster parents are asked is how we can give them up. The answer is simple. It saves lives. It is hard to say goodbye to a pet we’ve fallen in love with, but the alternative is even sadder. We get the satisfaction of helping a previously lost and unwanted animal find a loving forever home. That makes it all worth it. The trick is to get attached with velcro and not glue! If you do decide that you can’t give up an animal, that’s ok, too. Foster parents can go through the adoption process and pay the adoption fee just like any other adopter. The important thing is to think about what is in the animal’s best interest. Sometimes, even if we love them, the best thing for the pet is to let them go.

What if someone I know is interested in my foster pet?

That’s wonderful! Now you just need to ask them to fill out our adoption application on our website, or download the form. All interested parties must complete an adoption application prior to meeting any of our foster pets. This helps to ensure the safety of our pets and our foster families. We often suggest that the foster parent go to the potential adopter’s home to finalize the adoption. This gives you a chance to meet the family and see the home in which your foster baby might live. If for any reason you aren’t comfortable with doing that, one of our volunteers can take care of it for you. Just ask!

THANK YOU! You are the reason we are able to save lives! you will really enjoy being a foster family, and you’ll make lots of new friends (2 and 4 legged) in the “FSF Family